Lincoln University, an HBCU, and Washington University are partnering to say, “it’s the yeast you can do.’
Th school will team to investigate the biomanufacturing assets of yeast and develop an artificial intelligence model that can predict the yield of product from the yeasts.
Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the project includes summer research programs for Lincoln students who will work in Washington University laboratories as the investigators build AI-enhanced biomanufacturing for natural products and fuels.
Molecular biologist Keesoo Lee, a professor of microbiology at Lincoln, is a co-principal investigator on the project, contributing her expertise in genetic engineering and microbial cultivation as well as advising and supervising the LU students involved in the research.
The partnership will help develop a diverse workforce well-trained in key aspects of the emerging bioeconomy: artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and synthetic biology.
Led by principal investigator Yinjie Tang, a professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering at Washington University, the research team will focus on a metabolic model to engineer oleaginous, or oily, yeasts Yarrowa Iipolytica, Lipomyces starkeyi and Rhodosporidium toruloides to produce the biofuel butanol and beneficial therapeutics such as flavonoids.
Yeasts are versatile tools in the production of food and beverages, biopharmaceuticals, industrial biocatalysts, and biofuels. Next-generation production processes will tap into yeast’s “cell factory” traits to produce a range of bioproducts. Lee says the team of researchers and students will build a database for use in training machine-learning models to predict productivity and guide yeast strain development for biofuels and other fermentation products with high commercial value.
Tang and Lee will collaborate with computer engineer Yixin Chen at Washington University and chemical engineer Mattheos Koffas at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on the three-year, $940,000 grant.
The U.S. Department of Energy is contributing another $200,000 for collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington. Lincoln students in the project will conduct research at Washington University, study a custom curriculum, gain valuable experience and access to opportunities in biomanufacturing, entrepreneurship and data science.
“Through collaborative research, we will build a novel yeast fermentation process, implement the workforce development for HBCU students, and train students with advanced data science and AI skills for next-generation biomanufacturing,” Lee says.
“Leveraging this project, WashU and LU are going to build a fast lane so that LU students can enter M.S. and Ph.D. programs.”
Originally from South Korea, Lee has worked at Lincoln University since 2005. Her specialty is in molecular genetics of bacteria and humans.
Law enforcement training scholarships
Lincoln University of Missouri is set to welcome recipients of a new scholarship program for police academy students.
The $1 million Missouri Blue Scholarship Fund is designed to attract more Missourians to law enforcement careers and address officer shortages across the state. Each scholarship pays $5,000 toward the cost of a Missouri resident attending a law enforcement academy in the state. Funds are paid directly to the academy after students complete eight weeks of training.
Students at Lincoln University Law Enforcement Training Academy (LULETA) are eligible for Missouri Blue Scholarships.
Lincoln is the first and only historically Black college and university (HBCU) to house its own police academy. Launched in 2021, LULETA has graduated four classes of law enforcement professionals from its semester-long program and boasts a 98% placement rate.
The program has garnered praise and national recognition for its focus on recruiting and training officers of minority descent.
“Graduates from LULETA are ready to meet the needs of our communities,” said Chief Gary Hill.
“We take pride in assuring they have confidence in their training to be community-oriented police officers who can handle the biggest issues facing law enforcement officers today.”
Missouri Blue Scholarships are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and Missouri residents currently attending or planning to attend a law enforcement academy by June 1, 2023.
Find out more about Missouri Blue Scholarships or apply online by visiting the Peace Officer Standards and Training website at dps.mo.gov and click on “Missouri Blue Scholarship” under Popular Links. For questions, call 573-526-2765.
